Ohio morticians remove tattoos from the deceased, turn them into art

Friday

Kyle and Michael Sherwood, two Cleveland, Ohio, morticians, have formed a company, Save My Ink Forever, that turns tattoos into pieces of art, TV station KEYE reports.

"People put ashes in urns on mantles and visit stones with their loved one's names on them," Kyle Sherwood told Australia's 9 News. "Why not keep their tattoos as a memorial?"

Tattoos are surgically removed at the funeral home, then framed. The entire process takes three to four months and is done in a "dignified manner."

There are some limitations. Save My Ink Forever won't remove and frame tattoos that are located on a person's face or their genitals.

"We are helping families and fulfilling their last wishes," Kyle Sherwood said. "We are not trying to create a freakshow."

While they are based in Ohio, the Sherwoods say they work with funeral homes across the country, as well as ones in Canada and the United Kingdom, to preserve tattoos. The cost varies depending on the size of the tattoo.